PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Ricardo Mozzi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and MJ Penn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). MJ Penn told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Mozzi
vs
Penn

170 cm
23
130 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

180 cm
19
140 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Ricardo Mozzi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, MJ Penn!
The judges for this bout are Paul Tew, James Atkins and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Mozzi has Penn up against the cage in a clinch.
Mozzi lands an uppercut.
Mozzi working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Penn fails to pull guard.
Mozzi manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Mozzi is trying to break the clinch but Penn is controlling him.

Mozzi manages to break the clinch.
No joy there for Mozzi, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Mozzi fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Penn, pushing him back against the cage.
Penn tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Mozzi smiles and moves away.
Mozzi throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Mozzi swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Penn slips a jab and a cross from Mozzi.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Penn takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Penn swats away the attempt to clinch by Mozzi.
Penn slips a jab from Mozzi.
Mozzi throws a body punch but Penn moves out of range.
Mozzi lands a jab to Penn's midsection.
Mozzi rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Penn moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Mozzi throws a series of punches but Penn avoids them all with ease.
Mozzi scores with a three punch combo!
Mozzi wants to clinch up but Penn keeps it at a distance.
Penn fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Mozzi avoids it really well and circles away.
Ricardo Mozzi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of MJ Penn.
Mozzi stalks Penn and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Penn's face. Penn staggers backwards, shaken.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Penn closes the distance and clinches up with Mozzi, looking for a takedown. Penn pushes Mozzi against the cage but Mozzi circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Penn is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Mozzi misses with a body shot.
Penn has a takedown stuffed.
Penn shoots for a double leg takedown but Mozzi sprawls well. He's pushed Penn's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Ricardo Mozzi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Penn looks gassed!
Mozzi thows a body shot but no joy.
Mozzi leaves Penn with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Mozzi misses with a two punch combination.
Mozzi misses with the combination.
Mozzi wants to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mozzi stuffs the takedown attempt from Penn. Penn gets slowly back to his feet.
Penn shoots in but no luck this time.
Mozzi misses with a series of wild punches.
Penn on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
A looping hook to the body misses from Mozzi. Penn does a little dance to reset his feet.
Mozzi tries to close the distance and clinch up but Penn swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Mozzi takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mozzi misses the shot to the body.
Ricardo Mozzi is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Penn changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Mozzi tries to avoid it but Penn manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Mozzi to the ground. Mozzi escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Penn shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Mozzi sprawls well. Mozzi wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Penn gets slowly back to his feet.
Mozzi defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Penn.
Mozzi throws a shot to the body.
Mozzi tries to clinch there but Penn circles away.
A left and a right from Mozzi both land. Nice combination.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Penn fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Mozzi lands a nice shot to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Mozzi dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Mozzi swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Mozzi thuds a left hand into Penn's body.
Mozzi misses with a body shot.
Mozzi doesn't manage to clinch there - Penn circles away.
Ricardo Mozzi is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A lazy left from Mozzi finds it's target.
Mozzi tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Penn was well out of range. Poor timing from Mozzi.
Mozzi misses with a double jab.
Penn shoots in but no luck this time.
Mozzi lands with a nice combination. Penn backs away looking to recover.
Mozzi is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Penn.
Mozzi misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Penn.
Penn is breathing heavily.
Mozzi cracks Penn with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mozzi leaves Penn with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Mozzi fails with an attempt to clinch.
Mozzi tries to clinch up.
Mozzi tries to clinch but Penn is having none of it.
Mozzi works Penn's body with a nice hook.
Mozzi looks to land a combination but Penn avoids it well.
Penn takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Mozzi rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Penn moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Mozzi scores with a hook to the body. Penn takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Mozzi swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A punch combination from Mozzi misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Penn takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Mozzi throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Mozzi misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Penn shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Mozzi manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Mozzi manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Penn manages to get himself to full guard.
Mozzi sitting in guard here, content to control.
Penn working a defensive guard here.
Mozzi sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Penn had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Mozzi defends it easily.

Penn is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Mozzi is aware though and is defending well.

Penn has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Mozzi is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Penn.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Mozzi lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Penn down.

Mozzi decides to stand up, so the ref orders Penn to his feet.
Mozzi ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Penn moves away.
Ricardo Mozzi is winning the standup battle so far.
Mozzi stuffs the takedown attempt from Penn. Penn gets slowly back to his feet.
Ricardo Mozzi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of MJ Penn.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mozzi throws a right and a left that Penn avoids nicely.
Penn shoots in for a double leg but Mozzi sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Mozzi thows a body shot but no joy.

Mozzi takes the fight into the clinch.

Mozzi breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Penn on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Mozzi misses with a double jab.
Penn tries to score a power double leg takedown but Mozzi sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Penn somewhat.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mozzi lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Mozzi dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Mozzi tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Penn was well out of range. Poor timing from Mozzi.
Mozzi lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Penn circles away quickly and effectively.
Mozzi's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Mozzi duly obliges.
Mozzi misses with a few strikes there.
Penn looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Penn throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Mozzi's waist but Mozzi gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Penn off to one side.
Mozzi stuffs the takedown.
Ricardo Mozzi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of MJ Penn.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mozzi connects with a body shot.
Mozzi leaves Penn with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Mozzi works Penn's body with a nice hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mozzi jabs at Penn's body.
Mozzi displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Mozzi tries to bum rush Penn with a series of wild strikes but Penn uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Penn avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Mozzi lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Penn closes this distance looking for a takedown but Mozzi circles away.
Penn fails with the takedown.
Mozzi defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Penn.
Mozzi swinging wildly here.
Penn closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mozzi displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Penn.
Mozzi is looking to wear down Penn with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
A jab from Mozzi finds it's way through Penn's defenses.
Penn uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Mozzi.
Penn shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Mozzi sprawls well. Mozzi wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Penn gets slowly back to his feet.
Mozzi lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Penn circles away quickly and effectively.
Mozzi fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mozzi lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Penn at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mozzi misses with a body shot.

Penn looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Penn stops Mozzi from getting back to his feet.
MJ Penn has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mozzi tries to roll over but Penn keeps him under control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Penn lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

Penn is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Penn is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Mozzi has managed to free his arm - good work.
Ricardo Mozzi is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Penn is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Penn is looking for a kimura here.
Mozzi wants to control but Penn is keeping busy.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ricardo Mozzi showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Mozzi, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 30:26
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 30:26
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ricardo Mozzi!